The present invention relates generally to communication networks and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing traffic information associated with map requests in communication networks, e.g., Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks.
As extremely high bandwidth access networks become more accessible to residential subscribers, they enable service providers of these networks to integrate voice, video, and data, thereby providing more convenience for end customers and creating new service opportunities. Due to the multi-service nature of these new services, networks need to provide additional functionalities to end customers to support integrated control of these different types of services. For instance, a subscriber may use the network to get driving directions from one place to another. However, the directions obtained do not contain any information about the current traffic conditions along the recommended routes.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for providing traffic information associated with map requests in a packet network, e.g., a SoIP network.